Vietnam Travel Expands New Digital Entry as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City Upgrade VNeID Access

The process of digitalisation with regard to border management and tourists in Vietnam is gaining momentum with the development of the country’s national electronic identity system, VNeID, which is being launched as a component of the general digital transformation of services for foreign travellers. This decision is being made amid the increasing number of tourists in the country: as many as 15.9 million foreign travellers visited Vietnam during the first eight months of 2026, which is a 14.4 per cent growth from the previous year. The new initiative is especially pertinent in relation to tourists coming to Vietnam through Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi and Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City – the two major entry points to Vietnam. Nevertheless, it is important to draw a distinction between the current systems of electronic immigration, accommodation registration, and visa processes in Vietnam and future VNeID services intended for foreign citizens.

VNeID Forms Part of Vietnam’s Wider Digital Transformation

VNeID is Vietnam’s national digital identity and authentication platform, developed as part of the country’s wider programme to integrate identity, biometric and public-service functions.

Vietnam’s government has been expanding biometric technology and VNeID applications across airports, with national policy calling for biometric identification and electronic authentication solutions to be implemented across the country’s airports.

For tourism, the development creates the potential for more connected arrival procedures, particularly where immigration, identity verification and visitor services can communicate through digital systems.

The objective is to reduce reliance on paper-based procedures and connect travellers more closely with Vietnam’s electronic government infrastructure.

Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat Remain Key Entry Points

For international tourists, Noi Bai International Airport serves Hanoi and northern Vietnam, while Tan Son Nhat International Airport is the principal international gateway for Ho Chi Minh City and southern Vietnam.

Both airports are already recognised within Vietnam’s electronic visa infrastructure. The Immigration Department’s official list of approved e-visa entry points includes Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat, alongside airports such as Da Nang, Cam Ranh and Phu Quoc.

This means that foreign travellers already encounter several digital elements before and during their journey to Vietnam, including e-visa applications, online immigration procedures and electronic accommodation declarations.

The development of VNeID adds another potential layer to this digital travel environment.

Vietnam’s Immigration System Already Offers Online Services

Vietnam’s National Immigration Portal currently provides several electronic services for foreign nationals.

The system allows eligible travellers outside Vietnam to apply for an electronic visa online, upload passport and portrait information, pay the relevant fee electronically and monitor their application.

The Immigration Department also provides an online temporary-residence declaration service for foreign nationals staying in Vietnam.

These services are particularly relevant to tourists staying in hotels, resorts, serviced apartments and other registered accommodation, where foreign visitor information must be reported through the country’s immigration framework.

The continuing integration of digital identity services therefore has implications beyond the airport itself.

Digital Arrival Could Connect the Visitor Journey

The significance of VNeID for tourism lies in its potential to connect several stages of a visitor’s journey.

A traveller arriving in Hanoi, for example, could increasingly encounter digital processes at the airport before travelling into the city, checking into accommodation and continuing onwards to destinations such as Ha Long Bay, Ninh Binh or central Vietnam.

Similarly, visitors entering through Ho Chi Minh City can use the city as a gateway to the Mekong Delta, Phu Quoc, coastal destinations and other parts of southern Vietnam.

Connecting identity verification with these services could reduce repeated data entry and create a more integrated digital record of a foreign visitor’s journey.

The precise services available to foreign nationals, however, depend on the implementation stage and the relevant Vietnamese authorities. Travellers should therefore continue using the official immigration systems for mandatory visa and entry requirements rather than assuming that access to VNeID replaces existing immigration procedures.

Tourism Growth Is Increasing Pressure for Efficient Arrivals

The timing of the digital expansion coincides with strong tourism growth.

Vietnam welcomed approximately 1.99 million international visitors in August 2026 alone, according to the Vietnamese Government’s August socio-economic report. That represented an 18.4 per cent increase compared with August 2025.

The cumulative total for January to August reached approximately 15.9 million international arrivals, the highest eight-month total recorded in several years. The government attributed the continued growth to favourable visa policies, tourism promotion, diverse tourism products, natural scenery, culture, cuisine and competitive travel costs.

As visitor volumes rise, digital arrival systems can provide an important tool for managing larger numbers of international passengers without relying entirely on manual procedures.

Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City Benefit From Faster Digital Processes

For travellers, the potential benefits extend beyond immigration.

Hanoi offers access to northern Vietnam’s cultural attractions, historic districts and major natural destinations, while Ho Chi Minh City provides a gateway to southern Vietnam’s urban, culinary and river-based experiences.

A more integrated digital identity system could make it easier to connect airport arrival procedures with accommodation registration and other official services.

The development also fits Vietnam’s wider push towards electronic government. The national immigration system already allows foreign nationals to complete several procedures online rather than relying entirely on physical visits to government offices.

What Foreign Travellers Should Do

International visitors travelling to Vietnam should continue to check their visa eligibility and use the country’s official immigration channels before departure.

Travellers requiring an e-visa can apply through Vietnam’s electronic immigration system, which requires passport information, a portrait photograph and other travel details.

Visitors should also retain their passport and relevant immigration documentation throughout their trip, even as digital services expand.

VNeID should currently be viewed as part of Vietnam’s broader digital transformation rather than as a replacement for the passport or applicable visa.

Official Link: https://xaydungchinhsach.chinhphu.vn/bao-cao-tinh-hinh-kinh-te-xa-hoi-thang-tam-va-8-thang-nam-2026

Vietnam Builds a More Digital Tourism Infrastructure

The further development of digital identity and biometrics represents yet another step in the evolution of the international visitor experience in Vietnam. As nearly 15.9 million foreigners entered the country between the start of the year and August 2026, Vietnam finds itself dealing with an increasing number of tourists and at the same time, building up its infrastructure of electronic immigration and identity control systems. In the case of foreign visitors entering Vietnam through its two largest entry gates, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, their journey is already linked to the web even before they get to the airport.